


An Unwritten Song

by Sylva_Dax



Series: A Minor Rewrite [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-11-23 03:10:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/617424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylva_Dax/pseuds/Sylva_Dax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"From the moment I first met you, our future together was already written. Now, it's an unwritten song. No more spoilers." Sequel to "Just a Minor Rewrite". It is after the Library for River; after the Singing Towers for the Doctor; and after the 2011 Christmas special for the Ponds. Spoilers through series 7, episode 5 and P.S.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sequel to my other story, "Just a Minor Rewrite," and really shouldn't be read until you've read it. It takes place after series 6 and the 2011 Christmas special and may continue through series 7 (depends on where Moffat takes us and if there's still any interest in what I'm writing) . Please read and COMMENT! I really do want to know what you think about what I'm writing and what you'd like to see.
> 
> Disclaimer: All but the idea for this story is owned by the BBC.

Awakened in the middle of the night by a familiar whooshing sound, Rory and Amy rushed outside to their backyard. They arrived just as the TARDIS finished materialising on the garden path.

"He actually missed your garden this time, " Rory observed with a smile as the TARDIS door opened.

Looking at one another when the Doctor failed to appear in the doorway, Rory and Amy shrugged with knowing smirks and entered the TARDIS. Proceeding with caution they approached the console, not wanting to witness more than either of them ever wanted to see of the Doctor and their daughter.

After granting the lovebirds a few more minutes to show themselves, Amy's patience reached its limits. "Oh, now this is beyond rude. Come on, Rory," she said, pulling him along. "We're going back to bed. They know where to find us when they're done."

Allowing himself to be pulled towards the door, Rory glanced back. A blinking light he hadn't noticed before demanded his attention.

"No, wait, Amy," he said already turning back to investigate. "That blinking light; it's in the medical bay." Suddenly apprehensive, Rory rushed across the floor with Amy hot on his heels.

The sight that greeted him stopped Rory momentarily in his tracks, causing Amy to slam into his back. The Doctor, dressed only in shirt and trousers, lay on the floor next to a wide medical bed wrapped in his daughter's (his naked daughter's!) arms. He would have retreated immediately if he hadn't seen the wires attached to River. Rushing forward, he and Amy quickly confirmed that they were merely unconscious.

"What were they doing? " Amy asked, her eyes darting around in confusion.

Already lifting his daughter gently in his arms and laying her back on the bed, Rory answered, "Not sure but I don't think it was a fantasy gone wrong. Here, help me get the Doctor on the bed."

While Rory checked the couples' vital signs, Amy set herself to finding out what had happened. Realizing the impossibility of deciphering the Doctor's notes, most of which was in his native Galifreyan script, she immediately turned to the computer terminal. The monitor popped back on the moment Amy touched the keyboard. She stared in horror at the screen.

"Rory," she practically whispered, finding it hard to breathe. "Rory!" she finally gasped. He was by her side instantly. "Look."

Across the screen in bold letters was the headline, "Yesterday a Pardoned Killer; Today a Hero! Professor River Song Dies Saving 4022 People Lost in the Library." A picture of River and her team followed. Amy had a white-knuckled grip on Rory's hand as they read Lux's account: the flesh-eating Vashta Nerada; the horrifying deaths of his dear assistant and Professor Song's archaeological team; the crazy, screwdriver-wielding Doctor and his lady friend, Donna; and finding the handcuffed Doctor staring in shock at the spot where the courageous Professor had sacrificed herself to save everyone, including the 4022 persons who had been lost for nearly a century in his family's Library.

"Ponds in the TARDIS? Ponds in the TARDIS!" the Doctor exclaimed, his arms flailing as he tried to steady himself after bounding off the bed. "How did you get in the TARDIS? Not that you're not welcome."

"When?" Amy demanded.

"When? Why, you're always wel-"

"When does this happen, Doctor?" she interrupted, pointing at the display screen.

Focusing momentarily on the screen, the Doctor sighed, "It already has."

"What!" Rory and Amy gasped as one.

Pointing at River, Rory closed the distance between him and the Doctor. "Our daughter is right there and she's alive, Doctor."

"Professor River Song died the day I met her in the Library. Today, my wife led an expedition into the Library where I meet her for the first time."

The Doctor's gaze was locked with Rory's but it was Amy who responded. "You knew? You knew all this time and you said nothing? Did nothing to warn her? You didn't, did you, yeah?" Amy filled the space between the Doctor and Rory.

"I couldn't; I -"

"Don't you dare!" Amy roared. "Don't you dare tell us that our daughter's death is a fixed point in time. So was yours!"

Fixed point in time? Maybe. The pivotal apex of a paradox waiting to happen? Definitely. An uncompromising directive from his beloved wife? Without question!

He tried to explain, saying, "It is a-" but Rory's fist lifted him off the ground until gravity claimed him and he found himself looking up into the distraught faces of the Ponds.

Pointing at the vat of flesh, Rory croaked, "I just realised what all this is for. You were going to replace our daughter with a ganger!" He pointed an accusing finger at River.

 

~ DW ~


	2. Rule One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She'd handcuffed me to a pole. I pleaded with her to let me take her place; time could be rewritten. I've heard her response over and over in my head like a mantra for over two hundred years: 'Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare!' What cheek! Telling a Time Lord what to do with time." He wandered away from River and the Ponds, lost in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is just beginning. It will be a bit open-ended; after all, River's new future is still unwritten. Please read and REVIEW! I really do want to know what you think about what I'm writing and what you'd like to see.
> 
> Disclaimer: All but the idea for this story is owned by the BBC.

  
~DW~

Horrified, Amy looked at River. She couldn't tell. Was that her daughter laying so still on the bed or a ganger? It wouldn't be the first time the Doctor spared a family grief by replacing their dead loved one with his ganger.

"Doctor, please, tell me that's my baby over there. Tell me that's River," she pleaded.

"Amy, upon my life, that is River," the Doctor vowed.

"Rule one," Rory stated flatly.

Holding Rory's gaze, the Doctor finished for him, "the Doctor lies. Not this time; never about this." Slowly, the Doctor got back on his feet and walked over to where River lay. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, drinking in the sight of her beloved face. "I've had to live with the nightmare of her death every day of my life since she walked into that Library and whispered my name. I'd never been so afraid in my life. She terrified me. Here she was, this beautiful, headstrong woman that I'd never seen before, offering up promises of a future that I didn't even know I wanted, and she knew everything about me. But I didn't know her. She took advantage of that and knocked me out. When I came around, she was already in the chair." He closed his eyes against the memory.

Rory and Amy watched the Doctor as he lost himself in his memories, each leaning on the other for support as they listened to his heartbreaking tale.

"She'd handcuffed me to a pole. I pleaded with her to let me take her place; time could be rewritten. I've heard her response over and over in my head like a mantra for over two hundred years: 'Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare!' What cheek! Telling a Time Lord what to do with time." He wandered away from River and the Ponds, lost in time. "She told me about our last time together. The Singing Towers of Darillium. I couldn't stop crying. How was I going to let her go?"

Suddenly, the Doctor spun around to face the Ponds. Amy gasped at the self-directed fury in his eyes. "Simple. I'M A TIME LORD! We're above such foolish sentimentality. We do what must be done even if - even if it kills us." Amy and Rory rushed to the Doctor's side as he visibly deflated. They carefully guided him back to the bed. Almost in a whisper, he added, "So I gave her the screwdriver she had when we met and let her go with a lie on my lips. I didn't even try to warn her."

"You warned me with your tears."

"River!" All three exclaimed.

"Hello, Sweetie," she said, smiling weakly. "Mum; Dad."

"Oh, River, I thought I'd lost you. Don't you ever let go of me again." The Doctor managed to say even as he peppered her with kisses.

Unable to get to River because of the Doctor, Amy and Rory ran around to the other side of the bed. Amy gathered her daughter in her arms. With her one free hand, River returned her mother's embrace. Her father held her other hand as he smiled through the tears that insisted on falling. Gently, Amy lowered River back to the pillow her head had been resting on and tucked in the sheet they'd covered her with. She smiled at Rory who appeared to be unable to release his child's hand.

"Doctor, Donna and the others?" River asked.

"You did it, River. You saved all those people trapped in the Library's computer core," the Doctor said with a sad little smile.

Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, River said, "Then it was all worth it."

"I wish I could have saved your friends too," the Doctor told her, thinking about Anita and the others.

River smiled as she said, "You can't save everyone, Doctor.  _You_  saved me and-"

"No, this was all Sexy's idea; she saved  _us_."

"And CAL saved the others: Anita, Proper Dave, Other Dave, and Miss Evangelista. We were in the middle of one big group hug when Sexy appeared and told CAL that she was taking me home," River said, still smiling. "I think Doctor Moon was quite taken with her."

"Doctor Moon? CAL?" Rory asked, perplexed.

"Charlotte Abigail Lux and her protector," the Doctor explained. "Her family built the Library. She was a young girl dying of a terminal illness so they uploaded her mind to the main computer node of the Library to carry on her existence amongst the literature she so loved. She managed to upload all the people visiting the Library the day the Vashta Nerada attacked and sealed off the entire planet. CAL created a virtual world for them to live in."

River took up the tale. "It took the Lux family a hundred years to break that seal. I was hired to lead this first expedition. Of course, I had to invite the Doctor to join us. He came," she said, pausing, the heartbreak of that moment still so fresh, "but it wasn't him. It was an earlier Doctor; not my Doctor at all and he - he looked right through me. He didn't know me." She looked longingly into the Doctor's eyes and felt Rory squeeze her hand as he recalled their conversation a lifetime ago in America. The Doctor's eyes reflected her pain at the memory.

Stroking her daughter's brow, Amy broke the momentary silence. "The vat of flesh. Doctor, you sent River's ganger to the Library, yeah?"

Rising abruptly from his perch on the bed, the Doctor smiled wanly at the Ponds and River. "Well, I think we all know the answer to that. Ponds, shall we move River to your house? I have a bit of an errand to run."

"An errand, Doctor? Now?" Amy asked, surprised. "What could be so important that it'd take you from River's side at a time like this?"

Holding River's gaze, he said, "Trust me?"

"Always, my love," she answered with a nod and a smile.

 

 ~DW~


	3. That Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River opened the door just as the bell rang a second time. She regretted it immediately. Aunt Sharon, the same Aunt Sharon who'd continually advised Tabetha Pond to put an end to Amy's and Mel's friendship, stood at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read and REVIEW! I really do want to know what you think about what I'm writing and what you'd like to see.
> 
> Disclaimer: All but the idea for this story is owned by the BBC.

~DW~

"River? " Amy looked at her daughter with concern when she failed to respond. "River?

"Yes, mum?" She finally answered from her spot on the living room sofa.

"I was just asking if you'd like a cuppa. Rory's fixing tea now. Are you all right? "

Patting her mother's hand, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." A wan smile stole across River's face. "I was just thinking about the last few days." Particularly about her last conversation with the Doctor before he went off on his errand.

~DW~

"Ow! What was that for? " the Doctor had whined, holding his stinging cheek.

He'd carried her to the room her parents had set aside for them to use during their sporadic visits. Amy and Rory had finally gone downstairs to give them a moment alone before the Doctor took his leave. Before she even realised what she was doing, she'd slapped him.

"You were actually going to condemn me to a virtual prison. How could you ever think I'd be happy in a place like that? "

"Prison? " he asked incredulously. "There were no bars, River. It was a virtual world. You would have been able to live out any fantasy you could think of. You were content in Stormcage."

River shook her head. "I had  _you_ when I was at Stormcage and  _those_ bars couldn't hold me. No fantasy could compare to that; to us."

The Doctor sank down on his knees beside her bedside and laid his head in her lap. Looking up at her, he whispered, "I had to try."

River caressed his cheek. Seeing the haunted look that still lingered in his eyes, she nodded her understanding. "I know."

~DW~

The memory of his parting kiss still lingered on her lips. River smiled. "A spot of tea would do nicely," she said.

Amy returned River's smile. "I'll let your father know," she said, disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.

The doorbell rang. River's first instinct was to call for Amy to get the door but changed her mind. There was no telling how long the Doctor would be gone and she didn't plan on hiding in her room every time her parents had company. After all, she was the daughter of the house. Okay, so they weren't necessarily going to tell everyone what their true relationship really was. Still...

River opened the door just as the bell rang a second time. She regretted it immediately. Aunt Sharon, the same Aunt Sharon who'd continually advised Tabetha Pond to put an end to Amy's and Mel's friendship, stood at the door.

Fighting the urge to close the door in her face, River smiled. "Hello. You must be Amy's Aunt Sharon. I'm River Song," she said, ushering her inside just as Amy arrived.

"Aunt Sharon, what a wonderful surprise," Amy exclaimed, welcoming her aunt with a hug. Over Sharon's shoulder, she mouthed to River, "Be nice."

As soon as Amy released her, Aunt Sharon's attention returned to River, taking in her inappropriate attire: silk lounging pajamas of a very becoming blue. Sharon was a handsome enough woman in her own right, with a pretty decent figure and long dark hair that was just starting to require an occasional touch-up. This woman exuded a sexual allure that few men could resist. Thank goodness her William hadn't come with her. "I didn't know you had a guest. Your mother never mentioned _her._ "

With an amused lift of one delicate brow, Amy responded, "Perhaps because I haven't told her, yeah?"

Really? Definitely reconnaissance time Sharon determined. She immediately noted the naked ring finger. "So, Miss Song; it is Miss, isn't it? You're just passing through?"

Choosing to let Amy set the pace, and to irritate Aunt Sharon, River replied, "Professor."

"A professor? " she managed to squeak out.

Smiling, Amy stepped in. "Why, yes, Aunt Sharon. River is a professor of archaeology. She'll be staying with us while on sabbatical. "

Oh my, brains too? Perhaps she could talk William into a holiday abroad for a couple of weeks. Rory entered with tea just as she asked, "Might I ask how you all met? "

"Oh, Aunt Sharon, I didn't realize you were here," Rory said, maneuvering around the sofa to the coffee table. Recalling Amy's aunt's history with Mels, Rory looked nervously at River.

"We have a mutual friend," River answered as she helped Rory set the tea down.

"I'll fetch another cup, " he said, squeezing River's hand in silent pleading.

What's that about? Tearing her gaze from their hands, Aunt Sharon shook her head, "Oh, no tea for me." To River she said, "A mutual friend, you say? No doubt one of your  _young_ students."

A predatory smile spread across River's face.

"Aunt Sharon, it's such a shame you can't stay and have tea with us. Maybe next time, yeah? " Amy said quickly, ushering her aunt out the door before her daughter had a chance to pounce.

In a rush to tell her sister about that woman, Sharon allowed herself to be escorted to the door. "Will we see you at your parents' for dinner this Friday? I'm sure Professor Song will be able to entertain herself for two hours." To River, she added, "Not that you wouldn't be welcome, I'm sure, but it is just family."

"We'll be there, Aunt Sharon. Bye now." Amy closed the door and leaned against it.

Oh, to be young Mels again. "I don't suppose you'd mind lending me your keys? " River asked, grinning wickedly as she thought about Aunt Sharon's car and Mels' past art work.

"River!" Rory admonished his daughter before they burst into laughter.

~DW~


	4. Friday at the Ponds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed the Ponds until Tabetha welcomed her into their home. River hadn't seen her grandparents since her parents' wedding and the last time she'd been in their home she had been Amy's best friend Mels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read and REVIEW! I really do want to know what you think about what I'm writing and what you'd like to see.
> 
> Disclaimer: All but the idea for this story is owned by the BBC. Well, I guess I might own William.

~DW~

Friday night, River found herself entering the Pond residence with Amy and Rory. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed the Ponds until Tabetha welcomed her into their home. River hadn't seen her grandparents since her parents' wedding and the last time she'd been in their home she had been Amy's best friend Mels. They didn't appear to have changed all that much. True, it was just a few years for them, but for River, it was a lifetime ago. She wanted so badly to throw her arms around them both and thank them for being there for Mels when her foster parents had finally washed their hands of her. Instead, she said, "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Pond. I hope I'm not intruding."

"Nonsense, my dear. We're delighted to finally get to meet the mysterious River Song," Tabetha assured her. Looking meaningfully at Amy, she added, "I guess we have my sister to thank since my daughter didn't think your visit was worth mentioning." No wonder Sharon was in such a lather over this one, Tabetha thought. Her brother-in-law was many things but faithful wasn't one of them, and River Song was definitely temptation in high heels. However, knowing her sister, Tabetha decided to keep an open mind about Professor River Song. Smiling warmly, she replied, "Please, call me Tabetha."

"As long as you call me River," responded River.

As Tabetha led the way into the living room where Augustus, Sharon, and William were waiting, Amy whispered to River, "It's not too late to beg off. Rory can take you home."

"I'll be fine. I promise not to shoot Aunt Sharon," River whispered back before moving forward to be greeted by Augustus.

Augustus clasped River's hand in greeting. "So you're River Song," he said warmly. "We started thinking that you might be Amy's new imaginary friend."

"No, quite real. At least the last time I checked," River said, grinning at her grandfather.

Amy drew River's attention to the couple sitting together on the sofa. "This is Uncle William, Aunt Sharon's husband. And, of course, you two met the other day," she said.

Sharon merely nodded. William was on his feet instantly, lifting River's hand to his lips.

"I hope you'll be here long enough for us to get better acquainted," he said with a meaningful look before being yanked back down to his wife's side.

"How long will you be staying?" Tabetha asked, sitting in the easy seat next to her husband's.

Rory sat beside Amy on the loveseat that faced the sofa. River was directed to the remaining seat on the sofa, near Augustus' overstuffed chair.

Taking her seat, she answered, "Well, I guess that all depends on when my ride returns."

"Your ride? Then you're stranded here?" Sharon asked in alarm.

"I guess I am," River said, suddenly realizing just how true that was. Fighting a moment of panic, she exchanged reassuring glances with her parents.

"River is welcome to stay with us for as long as she wishes," Rory told his daughter though he addressed the room in general.

"That's right. We have more than enough room," Amy added.

Under her breath, Tabetha sighed, "Wish you were as eager to fill the nursery."

"Mum!" Amy protested. "Let's not have this discussion now."

"You're right, dear," Tabetha apologized. "Ladies, could you help me get dinner on the table? Oh no, you stay right there. After all, you're our guest."

As soon as the ladies were gone, Augustus started peppering River with questions, many of which could only be answered with half-truths or outright lies. He had already deducted that Sharon and William had not been told about River's connection to the Doctor, so he avoided that topic.

"Is archaeology as exciting as they make it seem in the movies?" asked Augustus once he finally realized how reluctant River was to talk about herself.

How many times had she been asked that question over the years, River thought, smiling as she answered. "Well, it certainly has its moments."

Regarding River with an appraising eye, William said, "You must have had your fair share of adventures. It's quite obvious you do a lot of field work."

"Really? Whatever led you to that assumption?" River asked, noting that he had managed to edge closer as she'd spoken with her grandfather. Uncle William was in fine form tonight, she thought.

Taking her hand in his, William answered, "Why, anyone with a keen eye would know that you're the hands-on type."

Both Rory and Augustus moved forward to intervene, but River forestalled them with a slight shake of her head. "Clever man, you are absolutely right," she said, smirking as William turned pale. Releasing his throbbing hand, she added, "I think you and I understand each other perfectly."

Augustus looked at his brother-in-law and chuckled, "I guess you have to deal with a lot of dunderheads out in the field."

"Had to put a bullet in a few before they got the message," she confirmed.

Looking at William, Rory added, "Yeah, River is pretty impressive with a gun."

Augustus nodded at River. He liked this one, he concluded. She made him think of his Tabetha, back in Scotland, during their courting days. She was a fiery one, his Tabby - passed it right on to their ginger-haired spitfire of a daughter.

Sharon had entered the room while Rory was speaking. She noted with irritation that William sat near River. He looked a bit put out and appeared to be cradling his hand. Something had definitely happened here, she concluded. She took a deep breath and plastered a bright smile on her face before announcing, "Dinner is served, gentlemen; Professor Song."

Relieved to escape, William bolted from the sofa and snagged his wife's arm as he led the way to the dining room. Augustus couldn't help chuckling at his brother-in-law's haste, winking at River and Rory as they followed in his wake.

A china cabinet sat just outside the entrance of the dining room. This was where the Ponds displayed their most treasured family photos. River froze as one picture caught her eye. Mel's graduation photo had been moved to the Pond's family pantheon.

Realizing that Mel's photo had captured River's attention, Augustus paused beside River and Rory. "That's our Mels," he said with a touch of sadness. "She was Amy's best friend. They grew up together. She was here so often, Tabetha and I came to think of her as a second daughter. Bit wild, but we were very fond of her. She - she just sort of disappeared over two years ago. Tabby and I, we keep hoping."

"I'm so - I'm so sorry," River barely managed to say. Rory's hand at the small of her back gave River the support she so desperately needed at that moment. She smiled up at him gratefully. He gave her nose an affectionate tap before leading her to the table.

Tabetha watched this exchange with interest. She'd never seen Rory so at ease with any female other than Amy.

"Well," interjected Sharon as she took her seat at the table, "I say good riddance to bad rubbish. They found the car she stole in that crop circle. If we're lucky, she's been abducted by aliens and taken to the other side of the universe. "

"Aunt Sharon!" Amy exclaimed in outrage, with a nervous glance at River who had been directed to the seat beside her by Rory.

"Stranger things have been known to happen," River said, with a touch of irony.

"You must have encountered your share of strange things in the field. Have you found alien artifacts on your digs?" Augustus asked, happy to steer the conversation away from Mels.

"Oh, definitely," River answered. "And they're not always artifacts."

"These expeditions," Tabetha started, "are they very dangerous?"

Thinking about the Library and her lost team, River answered somberly, "Sometimes deadly."

Understanding where River's thoughts had gone, Amy intervened even as Rory squeezed their daughter's hand beneath the table, "Mum, could we change the subject? River just lost her entire team during her last expedition. We, um, we nearly lost her too."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. We had no idea," Tabetha exclaimed. She would have said more if she hadn't noticed Rory's hand leaving River's lap.

"No need to apologize. How were you to know," River said quietly.

Not willing to let the matter drop just yet, Sharon asked, "Was this recent? I don't recall hearing any mention in the news about an accident."

"You wouldn't," Rory chimed in. "Highly sensitive stuff. You know; big cover up."

"Right," Amy confirmed. "Big cover up. Probably some, um, alien thingy."

"Speaking of alien thingys, have Amy and Rory told you about the Doctor?" Sharon asked.

River couldn't resist saying, "The doctor? Doctor who?"

Amy nearly choked on her drink, and Rory groaned, casting a warning glance at River.

Tabetha looked at Sharon with irritation. It was obvious to her that Amy and Rory had chosen to not tell Sharon about River's connection with the Doctor. "Sharon, perhaps this isn't the best time to discuss this."

"Oh, please, it's not like the Doctor's a big secret. All of Leadworth danced with him at Amy and Rory's wedding," Sharon retorted, waving off her sister's words.

"I didn't!" William protested.

"Neither did I," Augustus said, laughing.

"Groom; had a partner," added Rory for good measure.

"He did say the men were shy," River recalled under her breath.

"What was that?" Sharon asked.

"Oh, nothing really," River answered. "Just recalling what the Doctor told me about the wedding reception."

Looking shocked, Sharon asked, " _You_  know the Doctor?"

With a smirk, River responded, "V _ery well_ , in fact _._ "

"River," Rory hissed, smacking her leg lightly.

Upon seeing this latest interaction between Rory and River, Tabetha rose from the table. "Amy, I believe I forgot something. Could you give me a hand?"

As Amy followed her mother to the kitchen, Sharon had an epiphany. "Your mutual friend. It's the Doctor, isn't it?" she proclaimed.

"We met River through the Doctor," Rory explained. "She travels with him sometime."

"Really? Isn't he a bit young for you?" Sharon asked River.

Before River had a chance to respond, Augustus leaped in with a question of his own, hoping to diffuse a potentially disastrous situation. "A time-traveling archaeologist. Isn't that cheating?" he asked.

Grinning at her grandfather for his obvious diversionary tactic, River ignored Sharon's question and answered his instead. "It could be if I listened to the Doctor, but where's the fun in that?"

 ~DW~


	5. Something between Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My daughter's imaginary childhood friend pops out of a blue box that suddenly appears in the middle of the floor at her wedding reception. Said daughter spends her honeymoon traveling in the blue box with her husband and her imaginary friend through what they tell me is space and time and THIS (the truth about this woman) is too complicated to be believed? Try me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All but the idea for this story is owned by the BBC. Well, I guess I might own William.

 

~DW~

Tabetha led Amy into the kitchen and closed the door. She regarded her daughter for a moment. Amy was not dressed appropriately for the battle her mother feared she would have to fight. She wore a loose-fitting sweater over jeans, with just a touch of color on her lips. With her beautiful ginger hair, she was far from dowdy, but there was no hint of the glamorous model she'd become.

"Have you taken leave of your senses?" Tabetha finally asked her daughter.

"What are you talking about?" Amy responded.

"I'm talking about you allowing that River woman to stay in your house," Tabetha explained.

"Mum, why shouldn't we allow River to stay with us?" Amy asked, confused. "She's our friend and she's been through a very rough time."

"Then let her stay with her own family," Tabetha insisted.

We are her family, Amy's heart cried within her. "She-she has no family," she told her mother, swallowing the bitter taste those words left in her mouth. "Besides, she's only staying with us until the Doctor comes back for her."

Tabetha shook her head in disbelief, saying, "The same Doctor who told a little girl he'd be back in five minutes and didn't put in an appearance until twelve years later? Amy, dear, you can't afford to let that woman stay in your house another day."

"Mum, you're not making any sense. Rory and I are doing quite well. River's presence isn't going to be a financial burden at all."

"It's not your finances I'm worried about; it's your marriage." Not giving Amy a chance to interrupt, Tabetha barreled through, "What I've seen tonight makes me fear that it may already be too late. Rory just simply cannot keep his hands off the woman. It is quite obvious that there is something between them. How long has this been going on? Is she the reason I have no grandchild yet? Your Aunt Sharon warned me that things were not right where that woman is concerned. And don't think I didn't catch what she said to Sharon about her relationship with the Doctor. She obviously has a taste for younger men. That, at least, should give Sharon some peace of mind."

Amy didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that moment. "Oh, mum, if only you knew just how wrong you are," she said.

"Amy, open your eyes, dear," Tabetha pleaded. "I know it hurts to face the truth but-"

"The truth? I wish I could tell you the truth," Amy cried. "But the truth is too complicated to be believed."

Tabetha looked at Amy as though she had grown a second head. Exasperated, she said, "My daughter's imaginary childhood friend pops out of a blue box that suddenly appears in the middle of the floor at her wedding reception. Said daughter spends her honeymoon traveling in the blue box with her husband and her imaginary friend through what they tell me is space and time and THIS (the truth about this woman) is too complicated to be believed? Try me!"

Amy just stared at her mother for a moment, letting her words sink in. "Mum, come with me," she said, grabbing Tabetha by the hand and pulling her along.

~DW~

"Rory, River," Amy interrupted the lively banter between River and Augustus. "My mother thinks that there is something going on between you two. I think it's time they hear the truth. Mum, you may want to sit down for this."

Rather than sit, Tabetha moved to her husband's side.

"Amy, are you sure?" River asked, going to her.

Nodding, Amy said, "Yes, they deserve the truth."

Rory joined his wife and daughter. "And so do you," he told River.

Taking a deep breath, Amy plunged in, "Mum, you're right. There is something between them; there's something between the three of us. River is our daughter."

"I knew it!" Sharon exclaimed jumping out of her seat as Augustus pulled Tabetha onto his lap before she landed on the floor. "Wait, what did you say?"

"River is our daughter," Amy repeated.

"River is your daughter?" Augustus asked, looking from one earnest face to another. "How-how is this possible?"

"Time travel," River stated wryly.

Tabetha finally finding her voice asked hopefully, "Does this mean you're going to have a baby?"

"No, mum, I've already had her," Amy replied.

"Ridiculous!" Sharon jumped in. "I think we'd have noticed-"

"Be quiet, Sharon. I want to hear the rest of this," William told his wife.

"On our honeymoon trip, we were gone for months, not weeks. Amy had our baby during that time," Rory said.

"I don't understand. Where's the baby? Where is my grandchild?" Tabetha asked, not ready to accept that her grandchild was the grown woman standing before them.

"She-she was stolen from us soon after she was born," Amy continued, the pain of that moment evident in her voice.

"Stolen!" Augustus repeated, horrified. "Why?"

"Because they wanted to use me as a weapon against the Doctor. I was trained and programmed to kill him," River responded.

Augustus set Tabetha on her feet and walked over to River so that they were face to face. He wanted to look the woman claiming to be his granddaughter in the eye when he asked his next question. "If you are who you say you are why won't you tell us where to find you? Give them back their baby."

"Oh grand-" River paused, seeing the skeptical look on his face. "Augustus, if I could, I would, but it's too late."

He stepped away from River, disgusted by her apparent selfishness. "Too late? How can it be too late for a time traveler?"

"Time travel is a dangerous, complicated thing. A change in one moment in time can have disastrous effects throughout the universe," she answered, thinking of Lake Silencio. "If I did as you asked, I, River Song, would cease to exist. If that was all I risked, I wouldn't hesitate at the chance to be properly raised by my family, but it's not that simple. My life is intertwined with the lives of so many others, especially the Doctor's, Amy's and Rory's, and even yours."

Tabetha stepped forward, challenging River's statement. "Ours? Professor Song, we don't even know you."

"Folks, you might want to sit down. This is where things get really crazy," Rory warned, putting his arm around River. He could see how her grandparents' rejection had hurt her.

"Our baby, Melody, was conceived on our wedding night as we traveled through the time vortex," Amy explained. "The vor-"

"Melody?" Sharon broke in again. "You named your baby after that troublemaker?"

"Enough, Sharon!" Tabetha ordered. "I don't want to hear another word against our poor Melody when she's not even here to defend herself."

"Yes, well your poor Melody didn't flirt with  _your_  husband!" Sharon retorted.

River jumped slightly when Rory pinched her. She whispered, "I only did it when I knew she could hear me."

"What were you saying about this vortex, honey?" Augustus prompted Amy.

Nodding gratefully at her father, Amy continued, "Somehow the vortex altered Melody's DNA, making her only part human. The other part was Timelord like the Doctor. That's why the Silence took her from us. They thought they had the perfect weapon. They planned to use Melody to kill the Doctor."

"Well, obviously their plan didn't work, right?" Augustus hedged.

River stepped away from her parents. "No, it worked," she said. "Just not quite the way they had planned. Before they took me away from her, mum told me that I'd have to be very, very brave and that my father, the Last Centurion, would be coming for us. I never forgot what she told me and I waited. I was about seven when I finally saw her again in Florida, but she hadn't had me yet and didn't know who I was. When the Silence captured her, I escaped from them and kept going until I reached New York City. With no one to care for me, I became quite ill. Dying, I was in an alley when my first regeneration happened. My new body was darker this time, with light brown skin and dark brown hair. I was thrilled; my captors would never recognize me now. That was in 1970."

Without realizing it, Tabetha had taken Augustus' seat and was clinging to his hand as River continued her narrative. Even Sharon found herself sitting beside William, at a loss for words.

"After I was taken from the elderly couple who found me, I wound up in foster care, with a wonderful case worker who tried her best to place me with a nice family, but none of my foster parents could deal with the nightmares that left me screaming hysterically every night. I discovered that running helped and actually joined the track team in high school. I excelled in school, particularly in history, languages, and science; graduating two years early.

"I grew up, but I never gave up on finding my parents. I just hadn't realized that we were living in different time periods. Finally, in 1990, I found her; I found Amelia Pond. Not caring about the disparity in our ages, I immediately made plans to fly to England. That's when they found me," River paused before launching into the rest of her tale. "Madam Kovarian laughed as I fought desperately to escape. There were just too many of them and I didn't have any weapons. Once I'd been subdued, Kovarian examined the data I had on my mother and laughed. 'What were you planning to do? Become your mother's nanny?' she asked me. 'I've got a better suggestion.' I'm not sure what happened next. It's always been a little fuzzy. I remember feeling nauseous just before she shot me. I was mortally wounded and, just as I'd done in the alley all those years ago, I regenerated. Kovarian laughed as I tried to crawl out of the clothes that were now too big for me. 'Come along, Melody; let's not keep your mummy and the Doctor waiting.' One of her goons picked me up and wrapped me in a jacket before following her out of my apartment. Kovarian brought me to England and arranged for the Zuckers to become my foster parents here in Leadworth."

Tabetha and Augustus held onto one another as River finished speaking. Tears coursed down both of their cheeks as they stared at River, afraid to shatter what must be a dream.

"Oh, jolly good show!" William exclaimed.

Sharon looked at River in dawning horror. "This is some sort of joke, yeah?" she asked, turning to Rory and Amy.

"No, Aunt Sharon," Amy answered her. "River's not joking. Rory and I created that crop circle. We were trying to get the Doctor's attention. He was supposed to find our baby, our Melody. Instead, Mels found us there with the Doctor. To get away from the police who were chasing her, she hijacked the Doctor's ship. We wound up in Nazi Germany where Mels was shot by Hitler. As she was dying, she told us who she was. She regenerated right in front of us. We watched Melody become River."

"Mels?" Tabetha whispered, her eyes never leaving River's tear-streaked face.

Nodding, River gave her a teary smile. "Yes," she confirmed before finding herself in her grandparents arms.

"You poor dear," Tabetha said, caressing River's cheek. "You knew all that time who we were and couldn't say anything. I guess all that pent up frustration had to be expressed somehow," Tabetha added, casting a meaningful look at her sister.

Chuckling, River disengaged herself from her grandparents. Turning to Sharon, River said, "Aunt Sharon, truce? I promise not to key your car or flirt with Uncle William anymore as long as you promise not to come between me and my family."

Approaching River slowly, Sharon responded, "I guess this makes  _us_  family. Truce." And for the first time, Sharon hugged her great niece.

"River," Augustus started. "There's something I still don't understand. You said earlier that their plan worked. How?"

"After I changed I was still controlled by my programming; so I poisoned the man who loved River Song with a kiss. He made it so easy for me. He kept mentioning this unknown River person. I may have been just a little jealous," River explained. "But as I watched him expend the last of his energy trying so desperately to save my parents, and me, all the lies they'd brainwashed me with crumbled. With his last breath he told me to find River Song and give her a message. Then mum showed me who River Song was and I knew there was only one thing I could do. My body still coursed with regeneration energy. I woke my prince with a kiss."

"That nearly killed her," Rory added, giving his daughter a hug.

"River, just how  _close_  are you and the Doctor?" Tabetha couldn't resist asking.

With a smile, River answered, "I'm his wife."

 

~DW~


	6. It's a Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No, it's not a mask. This is my face," she said, leaning into his hand. "My parents, my real parents, conceived me while traveling with the Doctor in his time machine. It did quite a number on my genes. I was born more than human, with the ability to change into a new body when the current one is dying."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read and REVIEW! I really do want to know what you think about what I'm writing and what you'd like to see.
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from the show is owned by the BBC.

~DW~

"Okay, so what's the big surprise that I'm missing m'golf game for?" Brian Williams asked his son as he walked through the TARDIS-blue door into the hallway. "And you better not be trying to fix me up with that house guest of yours everybody's been wondering about."

"Pop!" Rory exclaimed as his dad entered the living room where Amy, River, Tabetha, and Augustus waited.

"Oh, I see they called you over too," he said in greeting to Tabetha and Augustus. "Well, I certainly see what's got them busybodies all stirred up," he told River, smiling. "Hello, I'm Rory's dad, Brian."

River grinned, responding, "Yes, I know."

"Any idea what the surprise is?" Brian asked.

"Yes, I do," she answered.

Brian looked questioningly to Tabetha and Augustus. They nodded. He turned to Rory and Amy who were now standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Alright, surprise me," he told them.

Tabetha spoke up, "Rory, don't you think your father should sit down for this?"

"Pop, you should sit," Rory told him.

"Nonsense, boy, I can take it like a man," Brian insisted.

"Brian, you really should sit," Amy tried.

"I'm fine," Brian retorted, just a bit agitated by their insistence. "Would somebody just tell me what's going on here?"

"Pops, you haven't changed a bit, and you still owe me for that hole-in-one you bet I couldn't make," River blurted out, chuckling slightly.

"Mels?!" he croaked as his legs gave out.

River caught him before he could fall. She and Rory helped Brian to the sofa where Augustus pressed a shot of whiskey into his hand. No one spoke until the color came back into his cheeks. River knelt beside him, holding his hand.

"Pops, are you okay? I shouldn't have blurted that out like that," she said, feeling the heat of her mother's glare.

"What happened to you?" Brian asked in amazement. He touched her face, expecting to find some elaborate makeup job.

"No, it's not a mask. This is my face," she said, leaning into his hand. "My parents, my real parents, conceived me while traveling with the Doctor in his time machine. It did quite a number on my genes. I was born more than human, with the ability to change into a new body when the current one is dying."

"This ain't a joke - another one of them Doctor stories? She's really Mels?" Brian asked, looking to Amy and Rory.

Nodding, Amy answered, "Yes, Brian, she's really Mels."

"There's more, pop," Rory added. "Amy and I didn't go to Thailand for our honeymoon like we told you. We traveled with the Doctor for months, and while we were with him, we had a baby girl."

Brian excitedly interrupted his son. "Now these are the kind of surprises I like. First Mels, and now, a granddaughter. Where is she?"

"Holding your hand," River said, smiling up at him. "Hello, pops."

~DW~

River ran. She'd been running for the past two weeks, rising before dawn to hit the quiet streets of Leadworth.

Not for the first time she wondered about the Doctor's mysterious errand. What could be so urgent that it would force him from her side at such a time. Where was he? Surely he knew she was fully recovered by now. Not having her own means of transportation was driving her crazy. She loved being with her family, but with each passing day she grew increasingly restless.

She had just passed the duckless duck pond when she realized that she was not alone. Whoever it was made no attempt to hide their presence. In fact, they appeared to be making a valiant effort to catch up to her. River adjusted her pace to give her uninvited running partner a chance to catch up to her.

Finally falling into step alongside River, Jeff Angelo managed to gasp out his question, "Is it true?"

"Well, dear, that all depends on what 'it' is," River answered as they continued to run. Of course it would be Jeff. He used to join Mels for her morning runs. For a while, after the incident with the Atraxi and Prisoner Zero, he'd joined her for more than that until he'd wanted more than Mels was willing to give: her heart.

"Are you Mels?" Jeff continued.

River stopped running. "Who told you that?" she demanded.

"The rumors are all over town," he answered. "Is it true?"

River considered lying, but the look on Jeff's face stopped her. He deserved better. "Yes," she confessed.

Suddenly, he was gripping her shoulders. "How?" he started to ask even as she tried to explain.

"I'm not entirely human. My DNA was altered by my parents' travels through the time vortex with the Doctor."

"No," he said, slightly shaking her. "How could you leave without a word? More than two years. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I thought we were friends at least."

"We were." River touched his cheek fondly. "Jeff, listen to me. Mels is gone. She was shot while carrying out a mission she was brainwashed to do and became me. My parents and the Doctor took me to the future to give me a chance to become who I am today. There was no going back."

"But you're here now," he said with a slight question in his voice.

"Only until the Doctor comes for me," she told him.

"The Doctor. It's always been him, hasn't it?" Jeff asked with a wry look on his face.

"I'm afraid so," she admitted.

"The age difference doesn't bother you?" He hurried on to clarify what he meant. "I mean, he knew your mum when she was a little girl."

"Bless," River said with a slight chuckle. "I'm a lot older than I look." With that River started running again, Jeff beside her. "You surprise me. I didn't expect you to believe me so easily."

Jeff smiled at River. "This is Leadworth. We dance at weddings with aliens who travel in blue boxes. Besides, I had a few hours to think about it."

They were passing the local market that was just opening up for the day. The local paper had already been set out, its bold headline calling out to them:

**It's a Girl!**

River stopped abruptly, her eyes riveted to the photos beneath the text, of her parents and herself.

~DW~

Perfect. A familiar car was parked near her parents' home. Too upset to remember the key Rory had given her to the TARDIS-blue front door, River banged on it impatiently, a copy of the paper clutched in her hand. When it opened, she swept passed Amy and swooped down on the two figures cowering behind Rory.

"What were you thinking?" she asked her uncle furiously.

Standing slightly in front of her husband, Sharon dared to answer in his defense, "He was only trying to defend your reputation and the family honor."

"Since when?" River growled.

"Well, that was rude," William said, taking exception to River's words.

Rory stepped forward and placed a hand on River's arm. Looking at her father, she took a deep calming breath.

"What could possibly justify the betrayal of the trust we placed in you just a mere two weeks ago?" River asked more calmly.

Still keeping Sharon between himself and her great-niece, William tried to explain, "One of the blokes at the pub started making some rather off-color remarks about you and Rory living under the same roof. And another one made a comment about Mels and Rory."

"The nerve of some people," Sharon interjected.

"Which blokes?" Rory couldn't help asking.

William continued as though they hadn't spoken. "Told them it was all rubbish. The rest just kind of slipped out."

"He meant well," Amy said.

River nodded before turning to Sharon and holding up the paper. "Really, Aunt Sharon?"

"What would you have me do; lie to the press? Besides, you should be grateful that we're not ashamed to claim you as our own," Sharon said.

"Grateful?!" River exclaimed.

"Aunt Sharon, I think it's best that you and Uncle William leave now. You've done more than enough for one day," Amy stated, already leading Sharon to the door.

River didn't move while William and Sharon made a hasty exit.

When Amy returned to the living room, Rory asked, "How bad is it?"

River turned to her father, fear evident in her expression, as she answered, "Potentially? Catastrophic."

"But, River, it's only a local paper, yeah?" Amy questioned her daughter's assessment.

Shaking her head, River explained, "Mum, a local paper saved digitally can gain immortality over the Internet. Imagine a younger version of the Doctor reading it before Demon's Run or Berlin. There's no way to know how such knowledge might affect his actions."

"Damage control, ladies," Rory said, galvanizing everyone into action.

~DW~

"Now what do we do?" Amy asked River as they left The Leadworth Chronicle. The paper's owner/editor/sole reporter refused to pull down the story.

"Mother, what do you think we're going to do?" River said with a smirk.

"Backdoor approach, of course," Amy answered.

"Of course," came the confirmation from River. "I didn't think we'd meet with much success beyond my gaining access to the Chronicle's network and the file data with this little trip," she said, indicating her smartphone. "All I have to do now is whip up a simple 51st century virus and set it loose on the Internet. And if dad and the grands are successful in rounding up the existing copies of the paper, we should be safe."

"M-Melody?" a hesitant female voice surprised them.

The Zuckers, Emily and Tom, stood in their path, uncertainty and hurt radiating from them. As Mels, she'd never been sure of the extent to which they were involved with Kovarian. Finally, she had her answer.

Looking from one to the other, River sighed, "You didn't know."

"Is that what you thought?" Tom asked, years of frustration and heartache suddenly making sense.

"Oh, you poor dear," Emily cried, pulling her foster daughter into her arms. Tears stung her eyes as she felt River return her embrace for the first time since Mels was about eight or nine.

"How touching," rumbled a deep mocking voice.

River looked up to find a tall, stocky man standing a few feet beyond Tom, a nasty looking gun pointed at her. Even without the vortex manipulator strapped to his wrist, he had the smell of a time agent all over him or was that just the gin escaping through his pores. Without hesitation, River positioned herself between the gunman and her mother and foster parents. Everyone on the street at that moment stood in frozen witness to the unfolding confrontation.

"Dr. Song, you are coming with me," he stated confidently.

"You are so wrong," River responded. "I'm not going anywhere with you. Check your database. I am Professor Song, and I earned my pardon years ago."

The scruffy agent looked a bit confused by her response. "Doctor, professor - what difference does it make?"

"Oh, I hadn't realized that they'd lowered the standards for time agent intelligence so far," River said with a smirk.

"River - gun?" Amy cautioned her daughter. "A little less baiting the gunman."

"But he was so asking for it," River practically purred. "I really am trying to keep you from embarrassing yourself more than you already have," she said to the agent. "Scan me and check your database."

"Look, Song, you're my ticket back to civilization: database or no database. Let's go," he barked.

Moving forward slowly, with hands up, she stated, "Thought so. You're nothing but a rogue agent hoping to bring in a big enough prize that you'll be forgiven. Too bad."

"River!" Rory shouted just as the rogue agent reached out for her, distracting him.

In a blur of motion River jumped and spun, chopping down on his gun hand, driving her elbow into his solar plexus, stomping his instep, and slamming the heel of her hand into his nose. She kicked the gun away to be scooped up by Rory.

"You broke my nose," the rogue agent whined.

"You're lucky that's all I broke," River told him. "Before we hand you over to the authorities, there are a few items I'd better keep. As a former time agent, I'm sure you would agree. In case he doesn't, dad, keep that gun on him. Shoot him in the foot if he resists."

"No problem," Rory said, moving in position.

While River relieved the former agent of any and all futuristic devices, Amy, her parents, and the Zuckers found themselves in the midst of excited townspeople trying to understand what had just happened.

The editor of the Chronicle asked Amy, "That danger you were talking about? No chance this was just a coincidence?" He sighed at her expression. "Didn't think so. Look, tell your daughter I'm pulling the article. This is Leadworth. We take care of our own."

"Thanks," she told him with a smile as River handed the pathetic looking former time agent over to the sheriff.

River, confiscated technology in hand, turned towards her family and drink in the sight greedily: her mother and father, grandparents, and foster parents laughing and joking with friends and neighbors. The prodigal daughter had come home and, as one, they all turned to welcome her. It was almost perfect.

~DW~

 


	7. The Doctor's Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor closed the gap between them, stopping just short of touching her bare back. Still not touching her, he whispered, "Can you feel it, the subtle changes in our timelines? Was it worth it? "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Until I say otherwise, this story is still set before series 7 and Pond Life for the Ponds. However, the Doctor and River have both lived through the events of series 7's TATM.
> 
> Please read and REVIEW! Don't be shy. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from the show is owned by the BBC.

~DW~

"Hello, sweetie!" River called out even before she'd had a chance to take in her surroundings. The vortex manipulator she'd taken from the rogue agent may have been out of date, but it still worked.

"What?!" cried the Doctor, nearly jumping out of his converses.

"Pretty boy?" she squeaked in alarm.

"River?" he responded. He hadn't been expecting to see her this soon after Asgard, especially not like this. He'd invited her to be his companion, and she'd very graciously refused. How could she be here now? The TARDIS was shielded. It was impossible. Had his loneliness conjured her up? Shock swiftly gave way to something else entirely as his eyes greedily took in the vision before him. River stood before him in a lacy TARDIS-blue teddy that left just enough mystery to fire his imagination. "How are you here?" he asked, poking her arm to confirm she was really there.

"Spoilers," she managed to say, acutely aware of her inappropriate attire and immensely relieved that she hadn't stopped wearing her bio-dampening earrings. "I shouldn't be here. It's too early." River reached for the emergency return button on the vortex manipulator but was stopped by the Doctor.

"No," he said, turning her to face him. "Don't go. Please, River, don't leave me alone with myself." Her scent was intoxicating as he gazed pleadingly into her beautiful green eyes. "I can't be held responsible for my actions."

On impulse, the Doctor dipped his head and kissed her. Stunned for a moment, River didn't move. He tasted the same as her Doctor, with just a dash of something else. He deepened the kiss, his arms molding her to his body when her arms slid around his neck. She lost herself in his embrace. A wave of dizziness brought River back to reality as she felt the subtle changes in her, in their, timelines. Parallel memories were taking shape beside old ones, such as the Doctor being bold enough after they defeated the Weeping Angels to steal a kiss as they carefully found their way out of the Maze of the Dead to the beach, whispering that he  _was_ older. She had to stop this delicious madness now before it was too late.

Determined and gasping for breath, River broke the kiss and pushed the Doctor away. "We can't! This is much too early. Please, Doctor, we could ruin everything if I don't go now."

Eyes smoldering, the Doctor ran a shaky hand through his spiky hair. "Then leave before I can't let you go," he barked, fighting the impulse to pull her back into his arms.

"Be patient, my love," River said as she pressed the emergency button on the vortex manipulator.

~DW~

With a flash and a puff of smoke River returned to her bedroom in her parents' house.

"Hi, honey, I'm home," said a familiar voice behind her, sending a shock of electricity up and down her spine.

Not turning around, she gave her traditional response, "And what sort of time do you call this?"

The Doctor closed the gap between them, stopping just short of touching her bare back. Still not touching her, he whispered, "Can you feel it, the subtle changes in our timelines? Was it worth it? "

River leaned back, loving the feel of his tweed jacket against her back. "I was looking for you," she said.

" _You_ kissed  _him,_ River," accused the Doctor.

"No, my love,  _you_  kissed me," she answered.

"But you didn't have to kiss back," he half conceded.

"I missed you," she sighed.

The Doctor's arms surrounded her as he leaned down and whispered against her neck, "I know, but you needed this chance to spend time with your parents. Besides, I'm here now." He turned her in his arms, meeting her eager lips with his own. Time stood still as they lost themselves in each other.

~DW~

"Get dressed?" River asked incredulously as she tried to relieve her husband of his tweed jacket. "Honestly, my love, those were not the words I expected to hear."

A giggle escaped the Doctor as he captured his wife's wandering hands in his own. "I know," he told her, brimming with boyish excitement. "I have a surprise for you. Come on. Get dressed."

"A surprise? I bet it has to do with your mysterious errand. Am I right?" she asked, getting caught up in his excitement.

"Spoilers," he answered, laughing when she stuck her tongue out at him. "What are you doing?" the Doctor asked in alarm a second later.

Slightly confused, River answered, "Getting dressed, of course."

"Uh, right," the flustered Doctor gulped. "Ah, new plan, River. Since getting dressed means removing that delightful confection, which will undoubtedly lead to other delightful things, getting dressed is out. Cover up, yes, that's what's needed right now. Just cover up. Don't want to keep everybody waiting."

"Everybody?" River asked.

"Everybody?" the Doctor repeated. "Of course, everybody. You know, the Ponds, Amy and Rory, your parents, impatient Scottish girl who hates to be kept waiting and the Roman with the pointy sword."

Laughing, River quickly pulled a sweater and jeans on over the teddy. "Am I presentable now?"

"Almost," the Doctor answered, removing his bowtie. "Blindfold," he answered River's unasked question.

"Is that really necessary, Sweetie?" River questioned. "I promise to keep my eyes closed. What? Don't you trust me?"

"With my life," the Doctor responded with a knowing grin. "Now, turn around, wife." He held up the bowtie-turned-blindfold.

Laughing, River turned and allowed the Doctor to blindfold her. To her delight, he stole a kiss before leading her from the room. "Hmm, wait until later, Sweetie."

Reaching the stairs, the Doctor swept River into his arms and carried her down to the living room. Before he finished setting her down, River's razor-honed senses had already identified her mother's perfume and her father's aftershave. Other scents mingled with theirs, totally out of place, but somehow painfully familiar.

"Okay, River, you can look now," the Doctor immediately instructed her, his arm still around her waist.

"Doctor, no," Rory said at the same time.

"River, wait," Amy warned too late as River eagerly whipped the blindfold off.

Unable to process what she was seeing, her world telescoped to black for a moment. The only thing keeping River from hitting the floor as her legs gave out were the Doctor's arms. Still in the Doctor's arms, River quickly recovered from the shock of seeing four people she'd never thought to see again standing in her parents' living room.

"Anita, Proper Dave, Other Dave, Miss Evangelista," she said, wonder in her voice, as she embraced each one in turn. "How is this possible?" she asked the room in general. "Doctor, how?"

Smiling at his wife's tear-streaked face, the Doctor explained, "When you told us that they were with you in CAL's virtual world, I realized that CAL had saved them too. They weren't downloaded with Donna and the others because they no longer had bodies." Rocking on his toes and stretching his braces, he continued with a big grin, "So, I cloned new ones."

"Oh, you wonderful, impossible man," River exclaimed. "Thank you."

**~DW~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Ten, the story takes place after TWOM.


	8. An Unwritten Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "From the moment I first met you, our future together was already written. Now, it's an unwritten song. No more back to front. No more spoilers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is set before series 7 and Pond Life for the Ponds. However, the Doctor and River have both lived through the events of series 7's TATM. Spoilers through PS.
> 
> Please read and REVIEW! Don't be shy. 
> 
> Happy New Year!
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from the show is owned by the BBC.

~DW~

The Doctor had been right, removing that delightful confection that River had worn did lead to other delightful things, and afterwards, he held her close as she slept. His hearts ached with the joy that welled up within him with each precious breath she took. She was here in his arms and the Library was now and forever in their past. For the first time he'd been able to revel in the wonder and beauty that was his wife without that spectre adding bitter to the sweet.

"Hello, Sweetie," River purred, a lazy smile sneaking across her face.

In reply, the Doctor met her lips with his own, kissing her until they were both breathless. His wandering hands soon robbed her of coherent thought, drawing her into the rhythm of their love. A little later they lay side by side, fingers laced together.

Propping himself up on one arm, the Doctor said, "Stay with me, River."

"Of course, love. Just not all the time," River answered.

"Why not?" he answered. "From the moment I first met you, our future together was already written. Now, it's an unwritten song. No more back to front. No more spoilers."

"No more spoilers for me, but you still have quite a few, Sweetie. Let's just say that older you and younger me still have a bit more running to do before I don't have to worry about running into myself, literally."

~DW~

"See, River, I told you we weren't late," the Doctor told his wife as they entered her parents' dining room where Rory, Amy, and River's newly resurrected friends were having breakfast. "Ooh, look, jammie dodgers!"

"Good morning, all," River said as the latecomers were greeted warmly.

"I didn't expect to see the two of you until this afternoon," Amy said, grinning knowingly.

"Now, mother," River responded with a wink, "we do have guests." Turning to said guests as her husband piled his plate with jammie dodgers, she said, "Sorry for leaving you to your own devices this morning."

"Quite alright, Professor," Anita said with a smile. "We understand."

The Doctor was relieved when the doorbell rang and Rory left to answer it, putting an end to the topic of their late arrival.

"River," Rory called from the front door. "Someone's sent you a package that you need to sign for."

"A package for me?" River said mostly to herself, a bit perplexed, as she rose from the table. "Doctor?"

Shaking his head, the Doctor answered, "Not from me. Well, at least I don't think it's from me. I mean, not from me now. Maybe it's from me later. Well, what are you waiting for? Go find out what I may or may not have sent you from the past in the future."

Amidst laughter at all the timey-wimey speculation, River wasted no further time in collecting her package from the beaming postman. Rory stood back and watched as the young man gushed all over his daughter as she signed for her package.

"I won the draw, you know," the postman informed her. "The package arrived the other day from America, addressed to Professor River Song, with instructions that it was not to be delivered until today and only to you personally. It was like a bloody feeding frenzy with everyone wanting to be the one to deliver this to you. Drew straws, we did. Like I said, I won!"

Barely hearing anything that the young postman said after "America", River handed the young man back his stylus and datapad and rewarded him with a bright smile. "Thank you." Just as he went to turn away, she recognized him. "Wait. Duncan, isn't it? Give your brother, Eddie, a message from me. Tell him that Mels says 'It's not nice to spread rumors about a lady in the pubs'. "

Eyes widening in surprise, Duncan swallowed hard before saying, "Mels? Yeah, right. I forgot. Wow, you really have changed. Don't worry, I'm a postman. Eddie will get the message." With that, he turned and headed out the gate. "Wow."

"Eddie, huh?" Rory said as he closed the front door. "Doesn't surprise me. He was a jerk back when we were children. I guess some things don't change." He turned his attention to River and the large, thick package she continued to stare at as though she could somehow unlock it's mysteries without actually opening it up. "A little advice from your dad? Open it."

Laughing a little at herself, River gave her father an affectionate bump with her shoulder. "I guess that would help." River opened the package to find another sealed envelope with a note attached. The typed note read "Go to your room, dear. Do not let your father see this note. Do not let me see it either. SPOILERS!"

"River," Rory repeated for the second time. "Are you okay? What does the note say?"

River turned to him with a ghost of a smile upon her lips. "Spoilers, I'm afraid, dad. I'd better take this to my room."

"Yeah, okay, I guess but you know your mother," he said, bracing himself before returning to the dining room.

"Where's River? What was in the package?" River could hear Amy asking as she raced up the stairs. "SPOILERS?!"

River closed the door firmly behind her before tearing the envelope from its outer wrapping. With shaking hands she broke the seal on the envelope and removed the contents: a letter addressed to Melody and photographs. Unbidden, a sob escaped her as she sank onto her bed with her treasure clutched to her hearts.

~DW~

Anita and Evangelista knocked softly on the bedroom door. The two of them had been dispatched by Amy to check on River in lieu of the Doctor just in case he'd been included in the "spoiler" warning.

"It's Anita and Evangelista. Do you mind if we come in?" Anita called through the door.

"No, come in," River, letter in hand, responded, not looking up from the photographs laid out on the bed as they entered.

"Your mother sent us to make sure that you are alright. They didn't want the Doctor to be responsible for creating a paradox by coming here precipitously," Evangelista explained.

Anita studied the photos that held River enthralled. They featured varying combinations of a strangely familiar white elderly couple and young man with a very young black girl spanning a period of about three or four years. They appeared to be very happy. Judging from their style of dress and some of the outdoor shots, the photos looked as though they were taken in Old New York circa the period immediately following the birth of space flight. "Who are they?"

"My parents, my brother, and me," River said with wonder in her voice.

Shocked by her answer, Anita and Evangelista stared at River in alarm. Anita mouthed, "Doctor," to Evangelista who immediately left the room.

"Professor, uh, River, are you alright?" Anita asked.

River looked up at Anita with glistening eyes and a joyous smile. "I'm more than alright."

At that moment the Doctor rushed in with Evangelista. "River, what is it?"

"Doctor, these were my first foster parents," she started, pointing at the photos with the hand holding the letter. "Jessica and Arthur Williams. I had no idea until this moment that they were my mum and dad. They found me in that alley after I regenerated and took me home. They were able to keep me for nearly four years before my nightmares caused problems with the neighbors. Children's services stepped in and determined that an elderly white couple were not the best guardians for a young black girl and took me away. I always suspected that they kept tabs on me. Once I thought I saw Jessica at one of my track meets but she disappeared before I could reach her."

A giggle escaped the Doctor as he stared at the photographs. "Oh, my Ponds. My wonderful, brilliant Ponds. You found our little Melody after all."

 ~DW~


	9. Hello Sweetie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even as the Doctor began his explanation of the timey-wimey existence of his wife, Professor River Song found herself lost in memories that started in a dark, New York alley, circa 1970.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is set before series 7 and Pond Life for the Ponds. However, the Doctor and River have both lived through the events of series 7's TATM. Spoilers through PS.
> 
> Please read and REVIEW! Don't be shy. The Silence MUST fall when the question is asked: Did you enjoy reading this?
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from the show is owned by the BBC.

~DW~

A giggle escaped the Doctor as he stared at the photographs. "Oh, my Ponds. My wonderful, brilliant Ponds. You found our little Melody after all."

Confusion written across her face, Anita turned to the Doctor. "Amy and Rory, downstairs, aren't they supposed to be her parents? And how could that little girl be the Professor? Doctor, what's going on?"

Even as the Doctor began his explanation of the timey-wimey existence of his wife, Professor River Song found herself lost in memories that started in a dark, New York alley, circa 1970.

~DW~

"Aaaaaaaaaarrrrh!"

At last, the screaming stopped. Surprisingly, her throat - her new throat didn't hurt. Her body tingled all over now and she didn't feel all sick like she'd felt before. She raised her hands to look at them only to find them hidden in sleeves that were too big for her now. She was little again! Managing to finally free her hands, she stared at them in awe. Then a smile stole across her little face as she realized just how completely different she must look. Her skin color had changed too. It was brown, just like most of the people who lived in the area. Her captors would never be able to find her now.

"Keep looking; she must be around here somewhere." She heard a man's voice say just beyond the entrance to the alley. Swiftly, she darted behind a bunch of overflowing garbage cans. "I think I saw something in the alley." It was another man's voice. She made herself as small as she could behind the cans and closed her eyes as though not seeing would make her invisible. She listened to their footsteps as they walked passed her hiding place. There were three of them searching for her. It was all she could do to keep from shaking and giving herself away.

"Hello, sweetie," a female voice said, startling her. Her eyes popped open to see a smiling face moving towards her with outstretched arms. She shrank back, not trusting that smile. She'd learned early that some smiles hurt more than harsh words. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now. We've come to take you home." It was the tears running down the silvery-haired lady's cheeks that drew her forward into waiting arms.

"Dad, over here. Mom found her," one of the earlier male voices called out. "Here, mom, I've got her." With that she felt herself being pulled into strong arms out of the sweet embrace of the silvery-haired lady.

"Oh man, I promised myself I'd be real cool this time around, and look at me blubbering all over again. Is she okay?" She felt his hand caress the back of her head and turned to look at him. He was smiling and crying just like the lady, teardrops glistening in his beard and mustache.

"Don't cry. I'm okay. Really," she tried to reassure these strangers who had made her feel safer in just these passed few minutes than she'd felt since leaving her mother's arms when she was a baby. "I don't hurt anymore. See. I made myself all better." For some reason, that made them cry harder.

The young man took control at that point. "Okay, you two, why don't we get this little one back to the car and go home before anyone else shows up and things get complicated." Carrying her, he led his parents out of the alley to their car. "Hey, little one," he said as he placed her into his father's arms in the backseat of the car. "We're your family now. I'm your brother, Anthony, and these two cry babies are our mom and dad, Jessica and Arthur."

Family. She had a family now. She couldn't help herself then. Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over. "I'm - I'm Melody."

~DW~

"...And Amy, she said goodbye and let the angel take her," the Doctor finally reached the part that explained how the Ponds wound up stuck in the past, reunited with their lost little girl. "According to this letter, they moved to a new area where they could establish themselves as Jessica and Arthur Williams about five years before Melody would reach New York and regenerate in an alley in Harlem."

"Why did they wait so long to find her if they knew the approximate time of her arrival in New York and the vicinity in which she would regenerate?" Evangelista asked, looking at River who appeared to still be lost in her memories.

~DW~

Melody snuggled down into her warm, comfortable bed in the room that Jessica and Arthur said was hers. It was the first real bed she'd slept in since escaping from … No, she wouldn't even think about that place. She was safe now, with a mommy that wouldn't shoot at her or melt. She smiled when she thought of Jessica, her new mommy with the fiery hair and silvery streaks all through it. She'd bathed her and hugged her close after helping her into her night clothes. She'd kissed her as she tucked her in for the night, telling her that she was safe and that she was loved.

Her screams rent the night air as she fought to escape her nightmares. Melody struggled against the arms that surrounded her, desperate to get away.

"Melody, wake up, baby. It's Arthur; it's - it's daddy," Arthur said, gathering his little girl into his arms.

"Mommy's here, too, sweetie," Jessica said, her arms joining Arthur's as they held their daughter and soothed her night terrors.

Finally, their voices reached her and Melody opened her eyes, banishing the creatures of her nightmare and Madam with her smiling face and cold eye. She was safe now. With a sigh, she relaxed against Arthur, letting him and Jessica rock her back to sleep while Anthony watched from the doorway. Satisfied that she had fallen back to sleep, they tucked her in, kissing her before joining Anthony at the bedroom door.

"We should have gotten her earlier," she heard Jessica whisper.

"We couldn't. You know that. Not without risking her very existence," Arthur whispered back.

"But she's our baby, and we weren't there for her," Jessica choked out.

"We're here now," Arthur responded.

"Mom, dad, come on before you wake her up," Anthony whispered before they silently left the room.

~DW~

"River," the Doctor's voice pulled her from her reverie. "It says here that they've instructed your brother to visit Brian a week after they left with me in the TARDIS to let the family know what happened to them. We could go there after we get your friends settled."

River looked up and smiled. "Yes, that's a lovely idea. What are you two going on about?" she asked Anita and Evangelista, their eyes glistening.

"Nothing," Evangelista squeaked out.

"Honestly, Professor, we've always suspected that you had quite a past, but this. Wow," Anita answered.

"Amy, no," Rory pleaded on the other side of the door.

"That's my daughter in there. Something in that package has upset her and I'm going to find out what," Amy insisted, pushing passed her husband and opening the door.

Rory tripped inside the room beside his wife, both of them narrowly avoiding a collision with Anita and Evangelista. Before they could fully gain their balance, River flung herself into their arms, hugging and kissing them while her husband swiftly gathered up the photos and returned them to their envelope along with the letter.

"Mum, dad, have I told you how much I love you," River said, hugging them tight.

Bemused even as she returned her daughter's embrace, Amy asked, "Wow, what did we do to deserve all this?"

"Spoilers!" River and the Doctor chimed together.

~DW~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to write the Easter play (passed time really) so there will probably be a long delay between updates. Sorry.


	10. Fare Thee Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come for River to finally say goodbye to her parents and grandparents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is set before series 7 and Pond Life for the Ponds. However, the Doctor and River have both lived through the events of series 7's TATM. 
> 
> Sorry for the BIG delay in updating. Life had the nerve to interfere (Hurricane Sandy and unprecedented overtime to name a few).
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from the show is owned by the BBC.
> 
> Please read and review. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks to those who have left Kudos.

~DW~

He stood silently in the doorway watching his wife, his River, as she prepared herself. She was always trying to be so strong for everyone else. She would dab away the tears and fix her face into the mask she wore to hide her pain. He'd been so lost in his own pain after New York that he'd let that mask fool him. Not this time. This time he would be there for her as she bid her parents farewell once again. Without a word he closed the distance and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead before she buried her face in his chest.

"I know, love, I know," he whispered into her curls.

"It seems like all I ever do is say goodbye," she said in a small voice.

"Then don't," he suggested.

Confused, River raised her eyes to his. "Don't?"

"Don't say goodbye," he answered with a wishful smile. "Who knows what surprises the future holds."

She smiled up at him, letting his warmth and his words soothe her. His kiss restored her with promises of love and a future.

~DW~

"Amy, your parents are here," Rory announced as he entered their bedroom. "Hey, are you crying?"

"She's leaving," Amy sniffles.

"And she'll be back. River's always popping in and out," he reassured her.

"I know, but will she ever be this River again? It's been so good being able to be a real family with her, not keeping her from our folks."

"Yeah, it has been good," Rory agreed. "I'm glad the secrecy is behind us, especially now that we're planning to make her a big sister.”

Shaking her head, Amy took Rory's hands in her own. "No, Rory, don't you see, this is the first time River has been with our parents since she regenerated. We can't risk-"

"The timeline," Rory groaned.

"How long did we have to keep them apart? Oh, Rory, what must she have thought all this time?" Amy cried.

~DW~

"River; Melody, your father and I-" Amy started as she and Rory entered their daughter's room.

"Ah, Ponds," the Doctor turned to them, keeping one arm around River as he continued, "just in time for a group hug. Come on, Roronacus, you don't want to keep the group hug waiting," he entreated as Amy joined them without hesitation, leaving Rory standing alone in the doorway.

Shrugging with an, "Oh!, what the heck," Rory joined his family.

Basking in the warmth, they held onto each other for a few seconds longer than was comfortable before reluctantly pulling away.

Noticing her mother's red-rimmed eyes, River prompted her gently, "Mum, the two of you wanted to speak to me?"

"Your-your grandparents have come to see you off. They're, um, they’re downstairs," Amy answered haltingly.

"Oh, good," River responded, thinking fondly of the time spent with her grandparents over the last few weeks.

"Melody, love, we, your father and I, need to know what to do when you visit us," Amy continues.

"She means younger you," Rory felt the need to clarify.

"How-how do we keep you from your grandparents with-"

"Without hurting you," Rory finished, taking his daughter's hand in his. Looking to Amy before continuing, Rory added, "River, we've decided to have another child. You'll be a big sister."

"And we don't want you to feel as though we've cast you aside." Smiling ruefully, Amy added,   I guess you already know that though."

"Spoilers," River said, exchanging a glance with the Doctor. "Listen, you two, I've lived my life having to lie to the people I love to protect our fragile timelines. Trust me when I say that I will understand _when and_ _if_ the time comes."

"But what should we tell you?" Amy asked, knowing her daughter wouldn't admit the hurt that moment caused.

"Mother, I think we all know the answer to that," River answered with her trademark smirk.

Together, they all said, "Spoilers."

~DW~

Tabetha wrapped her granddaughter in a fierce embrace. The time had finally come to bid her farewell. Not knowing if she would ever see this Melody again nearly broke her heart. The depth of her feelings for this woman she had only gotten to know in the last several weeks surprised her until her heart reminded her that this was Mels, the lost little girl she'd come to love as a second daughter, never knowing until now how true that sentiment had been.

"Would it be too much of a 'spoiler' to ask if we'll see _you_ again?" Tabetha asked, finally releasing her.

Chuckling slightly, River answered, "I'm a time traveler, grandmum, not a fortune-teller. I do promise to make every effort, but I warn you: the TARDIS doesn't always take us where we want to go. However, she always takes us where we need to be."

"You need to be with your family," she responded.

"Hey, stop monopolizing the granddaughter, Tabby. She's got two grandpas waiting here," Augustus said, pulling River into his arms. "I'm so proud of you, _Professor Song_. I always knew you had it in you." He kissed her cheek, then addressed the Doctor.  "You take good care of our girl, Doctor."

"With all that is within me, Augustus Pond," the Doctor stated solemnly.

Stealing River from Augustus, Brian held his granddaughter tightly in his arms. "Next time, you and me are hitting the green."

"Next time," River whispered in agreement, kissing his cheek.

Turning to her parents who stood next to the Doctor and her friends, River smiled brightly, locking away the tears that burned behind her eyes. She threw her arms around Rory and kissed him before drawing back to say, "You are and always have been the best father a girl could ever hope for, even when you didn't know I was your daughter. I love you, dad."

His answering response was to hold her tight and sniffle into her curls. "Oh, man, I wasn't going to cry this time," he sighed ruefully.

Pulling Amy into their embrace, River said, almost in a whisper, "Mum, I love you. You're still my best friend, always." River stepped back, allowing the Doctor to place a supporting arm around her waist.

Amy held her daughter's gaze as she retreated. She smiled sadly, "This is goodbye, yeah?"

"Don't worry; it all works out in the end." Smiling gently, River added, "And, yes, that is a spoiler."

Having said his goodbyes earlier, the Doctor tugged on his bowtie and said, "Fare thee well, Ponds," before leading his band of travelers into the TARDIS.

~DW~

 


	11. Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Of course not!" River responded, her gaze locked onto her mother's weeping parents. "Something unexpected happened and I had the Doctor bring us here while he took care of things." Looking from the Ponds to Brian and back again, she added earnestly, "I wanted to be here for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The events of this chapter happen immediately after series 7’s TATM and P.S.
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from the show is owned by the BBC.

~DW~

The doorbell rang, disturbing the family within. Initially, they chose to ignore it but the insistent intruder refused to go away. Excusing himself, Brian marched irritably to the door. Intending to give someone a piece of his mind, he threw open the door and froze with his jaw hanging down, forgotten.

"Hello, pops," River Song said, laying a gentle hand on his arm. "May we come in?" she asked, indicating her four comrades.

"O-of course," Brian finally stuttered, stepping aside to let them enter. "It's just so unexpected, your showing up here today of all days. Been a few years since last we saw you. Don't imagine it's some kind of coincidence."

Before River could answer, Sharon's strident tones rang out, "Of course it isn't.  They came straight here after leaving us. Look at them! Is that what you do? Hop in and out of people's lives for fun."

"Of course not!" River responded, her gaze locked onto her mother's weeping parents. "Something unexpected happened and I had the Doctor bring us here while he took care of things." Looking from the Ponds to Brian and back again, she added earnestly, "I wanted to be here for you."

Tabetha pulled away from her husband's comforting arms and approached her granddaughter. "You wanted to be here for us? You knew," she accused, her hand connecting with River's cheek.

River didn't move a muscle amidst the flurry of activity around her: Anita and Brian rushing to her side, Augustus restraining his distraught wife, and a previously unnoticed elderly couple stepping forward. She met her grandmother's tearful gaze, her own eyes suspiciously bright as she sighed, "Yes."

"Why didn't you save them; warn them; something? The Doctor saved you; all of you. Why not them?" Tabetha cried.

"Oh, grandmum, don't you see?" River explained gently, "We died. He only had to preserve the illusion of our deaths. Mum and dad had a whole life to live, just not with us. They were together and they were happy."

"How would you know?" Tabetha demanded.

"They told me so," River told her. "I received a package from them while I was here. That's how I knew to come today. They said my bro-my brother was supposed to..." she trailed off as her gaze fixed upon the smiling grey-haired man standing before her. "Anthony?"

"Hi, Melody," he greeted her as they fell into each other's arms, laughing and crying. "Look at you; all grown up and-" he said, pausing to touch her golden curls. "They said you'd regenerated."

"Twice," she told him. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I went back, you know, to the apartment, but you were all gone. "

"After the first time you ran away from your foster family, mom and dad realized you'd keep coming back to us. They knew they'd never be able to let you go again so we relocated and they went back to using their first names. Mom cried for weeks. Dad and I weren't much better, but we couldn't risk your timeline."

"Wait, are you saying you lived with them in New York?" Augustus asked.

Nodding, River said, "They found me right after I regenerated.  I was about seven. Jessica and Arthur, the elderly couple I mentioned. I found out it was them just before we left you." Holding Tabetha's gaze, she added, "They got to raise their little girl after all, even if it was only for a few years."

Tabetha looked to Anthony and asked, "They were happy, truly happy?"

"They were, even though they missed you all," he affirmed, reaching for the woman standing beside him. "Margaret and I made sure they were surrounded by family."

River's eyes widened in surprise as her memory stripped the years from the brown-skinned woman before her. "Ms. Ellis?"

Nodding, Margaret Ellis Williams reached out to touch River's cheek as though she couldn't quite believe she was real. "I've been Mrs. Williams for a long, long time now. After all these years, having heard the stories your parents told, I thought I was prepared to see the new you. It's absolutely incredible!"

"You married my _little_ brother. Now _that's_ incredible," River said with a smile, ignoring Anthony's surprised protest. "It all makes sense now. All those years as my case worker, you weren't just doing your job, were you?"

"No, I wasn't. Once a month, Anthony came to my office to make sure that you were doing well. At first, I resented his visits, taking them as a personal insult to my abilities as a case worker, until I realized how important it was for his aging parents to know you were well. Eventually, your brother's monthly visits to my office became shared lunch breaks, then dinner, and, well, here we are: two sons, three daughters, and a host of grandchildren later."

"Oh, my!' Tabetha exclaimed, not sure how she felt about being a great great-grandmother.

"Now, Melody, I realize that technically mom and dad had you first, but I'm well passed seventy now and you can't be more than --"

"A couple hundred at least," River cut her brother off, reducing the room to a shocked silence as everyone gaped at her.

"Well, I must say, you wear it well," Sharon squeaked out.

"This is insane," Tabetha said as she sought the nearest chair to sink into. "Children are not supposed to be older than their parents."

"And dinosaurs are not supposed to fly on spaceships, but they do," Brian quipped. "You four, come give me a hand with the tea," he directed.

"Melody?" Tabetha spoke quietly.

"Yes, grandmum?" River asked, going to her.

"I'm sorry, dear. We'd just been told about your mum."

"I know," River said, leaning over to kiss her grandmother’s cheek.

Standing next to Anthony, Augustus asked River, "You were there when it happened, yeah?"

"Yes."

"There was nothing the Doctor could do?" he couldn't help asking, even knowing what he now knew.

Smiling sadly at the remembrance of that moment, River answered, "Tears blinded him as he pleaded with mum to stay. She couldn't; not when there was a chance to be with dad. She said goodbye and turned her back on the angel. My poor dear husband was too devastated to keep his eyes on it. That's all he would have had to do to keep her here: watch the stone statue as I did. That's all I had to do, but I knew that's not what she wanted. So, when the time came, I did what needed to be done, I blinked."

~DW~

Tea was barely over when the TARDIS appeared on Brian's front lawn. Awestruck, Anthony held Margaret's hand as they stood outside Brian's door watching the legendary blue box materialize for the first time. River stood beside them waiting with barely contained excitement. The others crowded the doorway behind them.  Finally, the Doctor emerged.

“What’s he got in his arms?” Brian asked as River rushed over to her husband, eagerly reaching for the squirming bundle the Doctor cradled in his arms.

“Something totally unexpected,” Anita answered, grinning from ear to ear.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments would be lovely and, oh, so helpful as I bring this part of the Doctor's and River's story to a close and prepare to embark on a new tale that will pick up where this leaves off.


	12. A Place For Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was in her arms finally. Even though she'd pre-programmed the TARDIS with the coordinates that would bring her husband and son to her at this precise moment, it guaranteed nothing given the Doctor's track record. She’d waited anxiously for the TARDIS to completely materialize, an acute longing washing over her. Now she couldn't stop kissing the delighted baby who's little hands played with his mother's curls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The events of this chapter happen immediately after series 7’s TATM and P.S.
> 
> Thank you so much to those of you who have commented, left kudos, and/or subscribed to my story. You inspire me to keep going with this story.
> 
> Disclaimer: Anything recognizable from the show is owned by the BBC.

 

~DW~

He was in her arms finally. Even though she'd pre-programmed the TARDIS with the coordinates that would bring her husband and son to her at this precise moment, it guaranteed nothing given the Doctor's track record. She’d waited anxiously for the TARDIS to completely materialize, an acute longing washing over her. Now she couldn't stop kissing the delighted baby who's little hands played with his mother's curls.

So focused was she on the baby in her arms that she only dimly heard Sharon exclaim, "He's madder than I thought he was. Now he's stealing babies!"

"Nonsense, Sharon," Tabetha admonished her sister. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation. Isn't there, Doctor?"

"A logical explanation? Of course there is," the Doctor answered, distracted by the joy on his wife's face.

"What is it then?" Augustus prompted when it became obvious that the Doctor had forgotten them.

"Hmm? Oh, he's ours," he responded. "River's and mine. We made him."

"What nonsense!" Sharon refuted the Doctor's claim. "You can't just make a baby."

Finally tearing her gaze from the object of discussion, River said with a bright smile, "Why, Aunt Sharon, at your age I would have thought you'd already learned about the birds and the bees. You know, when a man and a woman love each other-"

Ears turning pink, Sharon hurriedly cut her off with, "Of course I know how babies are made. It's...it's just-"

Laughing, Brian finished for her. “It’s just we'd assumed you two weren't compatible; him being an alien and all."

A naughty grin spreading across her face as her response flustered the Doctor, River purred, "Oh, we're very compatible."

"Well, now that that's all settled, why don't we get Ryan out of the night air," the Doctor suggested.

"Ryan?" Tabetha asked.

"Oh, bless," River said, turning Ryan toward her family and friends. "Everyone, this is Ryan August Song. Our son."

~DW~

Once they were all settled back in Brian's house, Augustus spoke up, "Melody, did Amy and Rory know they were grandparents before they...before they went away?"

"I'm afraid not, grandpa. I didn't know myself until after we left you."

"How could you not know?" Tabetha demanded?

"I had to block her memories," the Doctor explained.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Tabetha asked, turning to the Doctor.

Looking towards his wife as she cuddled their child, he answered, "It was the kindest thing I could do."

"Kindest?" Anthony interjected, outraged. "You really are an alien if you think making a mother forget her child is an act of kindness."

"It was kinder than letting her spend countless years mourning the loss of a child she wasn't sure she'd ever see again."

"Then why didn't you just tell her?" Sharon demanded, ignoring her husband's attempts to keep her quiet.

"She's got a point," Brian commented, finally joining the fray. "If you knew you were bringing him here, why didn't you just tell her that?"

"Because he already knew he hadn't when I sent him to get our son," River explained as she reluctantly let her grandmother claim Ryan. "He did what had to be done to protect our fragile timelines and my sanity." Smiling at the Doctor, she added, "Thank you, sweetie. Just waiting these last few hours was excruciating!"

~DW~

Ryan crawled at will amongst the adults, finding his exploration of his new surroundings often impeded by their need to pick him up. He didn't mind at all. It was kind of nice. The not-mummy's hugged and kissed him, sometimes tickling his tummy. The not-daddy's swung him around, making him squeal with delight. It was a little scary at first until he was able to find his mummy and daddy in the midst of all the thoughts and feelings surrounding him. When he grew hungry, he told his daddy who always understood him, even when mummy didn't quite get it. Eventually, his belly full and bottom dry, he drifted off to sleep in the warmth and security of his mother's arms before being gently laid in his bed with the gentle hum of the TARDIS all around him.

~DW~

Brian’s heart constricted as he watched his granddaughter emerge from the TARDIS, which now sat in a corner of his living room. Patting the seat next to him, he invited her to join him. "So, how long before you all have to be leaving again?" he dared to ask after River settled beside him with a bemused look on her face. "I'm sure you four are eager to return to your families."  He braced himself against the inevitable answer.

The four friends looked at one another before Anita spoke for them, "Returning to our families isn't really a possibility for us. We died back there, and our families have moved on without us. According to the Library's news feed, Lux had our bodies shipped back to them. He actually had a memorial erected in our honor outside Luna U's Hall of Sciences. We can't go back."

River looked at her husband, wondering if he'd had anything to do with Lux's uncharacteristic generosity. With an aching heart she regarded her displaced comrades, knowing only too well what it meant to be torn forever from your family. She had the Doctor, Ryan, and...and her parents' family, and even a town that had embraced her, in all her strangeness, as their own. What did these four young people have left, cut off from their own time and all they knew? "Then you'll just have to become part of my family," she said with a welcoming smile.

"You mean like travel with you and the Doctor?" Other Dave asked.

"That's a brilliant idea," the Doctor chimed in. "The TARDIS hasn't had a full crew since we defeated Davros and towed the Earth back to its proper orbit."

"Actually, I meant become a part of _my family_ ," River clarified by indicating her grandparents and the rest of the family, all of which smiled and nodded their heads in agreement. "Traveling in the TARDIS included, of course."

"We'd like that," Proper Dave answered for them.

Sniffing, Evangelista said, "Oh, River, you don't know how much we've dreaded having to say goodbye. We've grown so accustomed to being your family all these years."

"What?" River asked, perplexed.

A bit sheepishly, Anita confessed, "Professor, we haven't exactly been as upfront with you as we could have been. We've actually been in the data core for ages, living with the children, Dr. Moon,... and you."

River looked to the Doctor. "How is that possible?"

"Oh, that clever girl!" the Doctor said, clapping his hands. "As Sexy and I struggled to retrieve you, CAL made a back-up file of you."

"You mean there's another version of me still trapped in the Library? Does she know the truth?" River asked.

"We're not sure, Professor," Anita admitted. "But I think Charlotte needs her. She's been a wonderful mother to her and the other children."

"There are children trapped in this thing?" Margaret asked.

"Not exactly," Evangelista explained. "Charlotte's family transferred her consciousness to the mega computer that runs the Library when her failing body could no longer sustain her. Dr. Moon and the children are manifestations of maintenance programs designed to care for her needs."

"I see," Margaret sighed, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

Brian laughed and told her, "You get used to it. I had a whole year with the Doctor living with Amy and Rory to accept the new normal."

"Normal? Who needs normal? An overrated concept that squeezes all the zest from life," the Doctor protested.

A strange little smile on her face, River said, "Doctor, I think a little bit of normal may be just what we need right now."

"Nonsense, River. There's normal and then there's _normal,"_ he declared. "We're Time Lords. We visit yesterday tomorrow; dine on Barcelona – the planet, not the city; witness the birth and death of planets; have-"

"Have babies who need us to be there for them and to protect them," River reminded him. "Our children-"

"Child."

"No, Doctor. Our children," she said emphatically.

Stunned silence followed until the Doctor finally croaked, "What?"

Nodding, River answered, "We're going to have a baby. She," indicating the TARDIS, "told me after I put Ryan to bed."

"But that's impossible," Sharon insisted. "You just had a baby."

"No, Ryan was born years ago while I was still a prisoner in Stormcage. The Doctor went back and brought him to me," River corrected her.

"But, River, when?" the Doctor asked, now standing before her with wonder shining from his ancient eyes.

"The Towers," she said softly. "Seems you gave me more than just a screwdriver."

A nervous giggle escaped the Doctor before he hauled his wife up from where she sat and wrapped her in his long arms, burying his face in her curls. Soon they found themselves surrounded by family, hugging and laughing; all but Tabetha.

Noticing her grandmother swiping a tear from her eye, River went to her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” Tabetha whispered, sniffing. “I just wish your mother were here right now.”

Hugging her, River said, “So do I; more than ever.” Holding her hand out to her husband, who watched them with a sad little smile, she announced, “Doctor, I think we should stay in my parent’s house.”

“Permanently?” the Doctor asked in horror.

Laughing with the others, River shook her head, “Of course not, but I think Ryan and this little one deserve a stable place to call home while they’re little. It’s the perfect place for us. They’d be surrounded by family, and we would have a safe place for us to return to when we're not together.” She placed a gentle hand between his hearts. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we can travel whenever and wherever you want; just not all the time.  Maybe we’ll find you a companion who can keep you out of trouble during those times when I can’t be with you, hmm?”

He looked into her eyes and saw eternity.  It was just the two of them in their own little world. Time stood still for them, for once ceasing its efforts to tear the lovers apart. He was a Time Lord, a traveler by nature, his one constant, a wondrous blue box. She was his Time Lady, a paradoxical miracle, who'd sacrificed her life over and over again for him and now she'd given him something he'd never thought he'd ever have again: a family. He could give her no less.

Tapping her affectionately on the tip of her nose, he said, "River Song, you are amazing. It _is_ about time the universe made a place for us."

~DW~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though we have come to the end of this tale, it is not the end. Their story continues in Before Yesterday Comes and Tomorrow Dawns.
> 
> Looking forward to hearing from you.


End file.
